Archive for Październik, 2013

The mobile phone is now firmly entrenched as a part of the marketer’s toolkit — but the art of successful mobile marketing is still young and rapidly evolving. Over the past year or so wiGroup has supported a large number of mobile campaigns and processed over R1.5bn in mobile transaction value flow through our platform, wiPlatform. As a result, we’re starting to see some clear patterns in what works and what doesn’t. Here are the top five things we think mobile marketing strategists need to understand for 2014:

1. Move beyond engagement
Customer engagement and brand awareness are lovely things — but at some point, they need to translate into sales. In 2014, we expect to see an increasing awareness, among agencies and brands alike, that engagement for its own sake can be an expensive exercise that’s difficult to justify. “Look how many Facebook fans we’ve gained” is not going to be enough anymore. The technology to track every mobile customer interaction from ‘first touch to till point’ not only already exists, it’s widely available and easy to use. Mobile campaigns will increasingly be measured according to how much revenue they generate at the point of sale.

2. Discover the profits in the space behind the curve
Location-based marketing, near-field communication, creative ways to use QR codes – agencies love to play with the possibilities created by new tools. But when we look at the numbers, they don’t always add up just yet. There’s a place for trying new technology to drive innovative campaigns, and to drive adoption, but it’s important to keep your strategic goals in mind. If driving sales at volume is the objective, some of the most successful campaigns we’ve seen to date – the ones that have had the biggest effect on the client’s bottom line, not necessarily the ones that win awards – used plain old USSD, and SMS to relevant, ‘opt-in’ and active databases. These technologies may not be sexy, but they work well for large sections of the South African population.

3. Be inspired by diversity
This follows from the previous point: Successful mobile marketers in 2014 and beyond will be the ones who deeply understand their audiences, and have mastered all the tools at their disposal. In South Africa and the rest of Africa, our reality for the next couple of years at least is not smartphones and high-speed broadband connections. It is five-year-old feature phones and users who wring as much value as they possibly can out of every rand of airtime. Successfully crafting mobile campaigns for this market is a creative challenge agencies should be excited to grapple with. Get it right and the rewards are huge.

4. Integrate mobile with everything else
Our experience has shown us very clearly, time and again, that standalone mobile campaigns don’t work well. Successful campaigns integrate traditional above- and below-the-line media with social and mobile elements to get the customer’s attention, hold it and then drive action. One of our favourite clients, a mass-market fast food chain, has used a clever, cost-effective combination of TV and print ads, in-store media and mobile couponing to drive a series of very popular campaigns that translated into over a million redemptions at their tills.

5. Open and shareable beats closed and exclusive
Nobody likes to be locked in. Consumers resent having their choices constrained, and retailers are wary of making exclusive commitments to services that might not work out. From both perspectives, it makes sense to choose open platforms over closed ones whenever possible – especially in a market that’s moving as fast as mobile. Be wary of apps, wallets or suppliers who demand you use them exclusively – instead, choose systems that will allow you to use whatever tool works best for each client and each campaign.

Like all essential solutions, ERP comes with an associated ongoing cost of ownership. But careful planning and new delivery models make ERP total cost of ownership (TCO) manageable, says HansaWorld.

Taryn Cromie, sales manager at HansaWorld South Africa, says not all enterprises fully understand the costs associated with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. “We tend to have this discussion with customers quite often – it is an area that is not well understood,” she says.

What are the costs?

Cromie says the total costs of ERP can be broken down into:

The upfront investment in the software. This is a once off cost that is often negotiable and will depend on configuration and features.

An annual license and maintenance fee – typically some 20-25% of the initial software price (this is an on-going cost).

Implementation and training costs and this may include the cost of specialist ERP consultants.

Then, depending on the system, related and supporting hardware and licenses such as a database server, or Citrix for wide area networking, a print server, or Windows licenses, may also need to be taken into account.

Eckhard Wernich, HansaWorld Regional Manager, says surveys conducted in Europe indicate that the maintenance and running costs could be well over four times the initial cost of the system, over a seven-year lifetime cycle, depending on the system and its architecture.

Over-customising an ERP system can also lead to unexpected costs in future, notes Wernich. “If the developer leaves the company, managing a highly customised system may cause serious challenges in future, as his successors attempt to cope with new releases and advances. This also adds to the cost of operations.”

Outweighing the costs

The cost of an ERP implementation, notes Wernich, is offset by the multiple benefits, such as increased efficiency and a reduction of manual work, with an associated reduction in the number of staff needed.

By removing operator input, errors are also controlled or eliminated, which further contributes to a reduction in operating costs. Automation of key processes reduces the number of administrative staff required and costly errors. The cost of having IT specialists on site can be considerably reduced by having tasks such as backup and recovery procedures and automated database management incorporated.

An eye on the future

An effective system also positions a company to grow. It is no longer bogged down with solving operational problems, but is free to focus on business itself. And the right software should be ready to support that growth with the ability to scale from its initial size and configuration without disruption or the need for replacement.

Wernich says careful planning ensures that the upfront cost of the ERP system is controlled. “Companies need to carry out a full pre-analysis to determine what functionality is necessary to invest in, and what is not,” he notes.

In the Cloud

Cromie says that ERP costs can also be managed through new service delivery models, including Software as a Service, which allows enterprises to reduce their upfront outlays on hardware and resources. Organisations considering migrating their ERP system to the cloud at a future date need to ensure that the solution they use is cloud ready and simple to migrate, she adds.

As small businesses grow, so does the complexity of keeping all your operations running smoothly. More customers, more products and more staff sometimes just seem to mean more headaches. At least one essential area of your operations can be handed over safely to a trustworthy party – Nashua Mobile, perfectly positioned to take care of all your communications needs as you grow.

Nashua Mobile gives small businesses access to one of the biggest selections of mobile, and data services in the country, along with a range of access devices to keep you and your team on the move and in contact at any time from any place. You may not need all of these solutions just yet, but as your business grows, Nashua Mobile is there to support you:

Telemetry
Once you have opened several branches, you need to manage their activities remotely, so you can receive information from them without leaving your main office. Telemetry uses the cellphone network to transmit data from the remote site to a monitoring station at your head office. Nashua Mobile’s telemetry solutions include secure access systems, vehicle tracking and systems to let vending machines transmit sales and inventory data.

Save on voice costs
As business starts to boom, you’ll be handling increasing call volumes and the cost of those calls can quickly spiral. Fortunately there are easy alternatives to cut your bills, Nashua Mobile has two options: Least Cost Routing (LCR) and VOiP. LCR slashes the cost of calling a cellphone by cleverly routing each call over the cheaper landline network, while VOiP offers the cheapest call rates via internet, turning costly voice calls into cheap data packets. To strengthen that offering, Nashua Mobile also provides the most cost-effective uncapped ADSL line.

SMS Gateway
Customers are vital to the success of your business and you need to communicate with them effectively. Nashua Mobile provides an easy bulk SMS solution – SMS Gateway.
This gives you the power of Bulk SMS via our user-friendly online portal, making it simple to stay in touch with customers on a timely and regular basis.
Nashua Mobile can also give you a 5-digit Premium Rate SMS number to run competitions, launch products and survey clients for interactive marketing campaigns.

Fixed and Low-Cost Data bundles
Growing your business doesn’t have to mean growing your data costs to match.
Nashua Mobile offers fixed-cost and low-cost data bundles to help avoid high data bills. Nashua Mobile provides this across all three networks, MTN, Vodacom and Cell C.

On the go
To manage your business effectively, you need to be on the move and that is Nashua Mobile’s specialty. We can kit you out with the latest mobile devices and offer you the most appropriate package across all three networks – MTN, Vodacom and Cell C. You can buy a laptop or a tablet from Nashua Mobile on your existing cellphone account, avoiding the hefty up-front fee of an outright purchase.

Wi-Fi Connectivity
To cut your office communications costs even more, installing a Wi-Fi router is the way to go. You can share data, print files and surf the internet wirelessly, cutting your bills and making your employees more productive at the same time.

Nashua Mobile knows that the small businesses of today are the great businesses of tomorrow. We’re an entrepreneurial company too, so if you need more advice on these and other workplace solutions, visit a Nashua Mobile store near you: http://www.nashuamobile.com/branch-locator.aspx

To meet the needs of the rapidly developing regional broadband market, Mustek today opened a new optical fibre pre-termination facility. Situated in Johannesburg, the new plant will enable Mustek to supply operators and installers with complete solutions built on m2fx’s innovative Miniflex fibre cable, microduct and protection tube range. This will result in reduced time and labour costs and ensure the highest quality fibre installations.

The number of Fibre deployments (FTTx) is rapidly increasing across Southern Africa, driven by the rollout of superfast broadband, mobile networks and the growth of datacentres. However high installation costs, particularly in the last mile of networks, threatens the pace of rollouts.

The partnership between Mustek and m2fx provides the perfect solution for operators and installers. The innovative Miniflex product range combines toughness and lightness with ultra flexibility, making it ideal to connect up to an existing backbone fibre network. Its unique design and patented QuikPush pushable technology reduces the time and cost of installations by removing the need for specialist equipment or skills and requiring smaller teams. Customers in Europe and North America have achieved savings of up to 60%, allied to greater reliability and reduced maintenance costs.

Through the new Mustek pre-termination facility, the company will provide completed fibre solutions to the local market, built from m2fx’s advanced components. Installers can then simply plug these in without needing to splice cables, thereby reducing lead times and speeding up deployments. Since beginning their partnership in September 2012, Mustek and m2fx have built a successful working relationship, supplying products for multiple installations including DFA, Neotel and RSAweb. Further strengthening this relationship, Mustek is the first approved partner in Africa that is licenced to create pre-connectorised fibre cables, including the QuikPush range.

“Up until now deployment time and cost have been huge stumbling blocks when it comes to large scale rollouts of fibre networks, both to homes and businesses,” said Hein Engelbrecht, Managing Director at Mustek. “Our drive is to make deployments affordable and the new pre-termination plant will enable us to offer m2fx’s proven technology much faster to our local customers, bringing down costs for operators and users. We believe this expanded partnership will grow last mile fibre deployments, providing a high quality, cost-effective solution across southern Africa.”

Employing 574 people nationally, Mustek’s 375m² Johannesburg fibre plant utilises advanced technology and state of the art equipment, giving it the capacity to manufacture thousands of kilometres of pre-terminated fibre cable every year. This will enable Mustek to supply installations throughout Africa through its large scale distribution network which spans South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria. To date Mustek has invested over R4m in its new Fibre division.

“Fibre networks are the arteries of today’s information society and increasing fibre penetration is central to Africa’s growth and expansion,” said Tom Carpenter, CEO, m2fx. “Working together with Mustek we can speed up installation, increase reliability and reduce costs for fibre networks of all types. This new investment from Mustek shows their dedication to delivering our technology to the local market and their commitment to the regional economy. It is a blueprint for our expansion in other regions as we address the growing global market for fibre networks.”

Most companies are required to share data breach details with clients, regulators, media, and other third parties

The overwhelming majority of companies facing IT security incidents were unable to keep information about those incidents confidential due to pressure from third parties. This ultimately led to major blows to business reputations, according to B2B International, which worked with Kaspersky Lab this year to conduct the Global Corporate IT Security Risks 2013 survey among business representatives around the world.

Public disclosure of information about IT security incidents is often inevitable, something that most organisations can’t avoid. The study revealed that an average of 44% of companies that suffer a data leakage are forced to disclose the incident to clients who might potentially be affected by the incident, while 34% informed their business partners, 33% informed their suppliers, 27% reported to regulators, and 15% were obliged to disclose details to the media.

Large companies are more frequently faced with having to disclose details about IT security incidents to third parties. These organisations must primarily report to regulators, clients, and the media. The need to disclose this type of information naturally risks causing substantial damage to corporate reputations. Not infrequently, disclosure is also associated with financial losses in the form of fines imposed by regulators, and compensation for related losses incurred by clients and partners.

Since regulators, contractual obligations to clients and partners, and other factors often do not permit a company to keep information about data leakages confidential, the only real way to avoid damages from the disclosure of this type of information is to prevent an IT security incident from happening in the first place — by building a secure, protected IT infrastructure.

Preventing data leakages:
A solid strategy for maintaining the security of an IT infrastructure means, first and foremost, using an advanced security platform like Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business. This platform provides anti-malware protection against complex targeted attacks and real-time threats across the entire company IT infrastructure – physical, mobile and virtual – together with security systems management, control and encryption tools. This level of security, in combination with employee education about IT threats can form the foundation of an action plan guaranteeing the highest level of protection for any company’s IT infrastructure against cyber-attacks and their consequences, including financial loss and reputation damage.

The buzz around software defined storage; networking and security are sparking new concerns in businesses. Grant Vine, Technical director at Cybervine IT Solutions, explains what they mean and what they could lead to.

By Grant Vine, Technical director at Cybervine IT Solutions

The terms software defined storage (SDS), software defined networking (SDN) and even software defined security and firewalls are being bandied around a great deal lately, sparking concern among those who aren’t clear on what the terms mean.

We have heard from several customers lately that they are anxious to be ‘ready for SDN’ even though they are unsure why, or what the implications are.

This trend toward the ‘software of everything’ could be better described as adding an abstraction layer to existing infrastructures, which allows for greater control and allocation of resources and resulting cost benefits.

It is only within large enterprises with multi-tiered datacentre environments that SDN will make a tangible difference, with the greatest impacts of SDN being realized in multi-tenant hosting facilities simply due to the nature of network infrastructure and independent configuration required for hosted service delivery. But for small to mid-sized enterprises, with a flat and simplistic network structure, the impact is virtually zero. On the other hand, software defined storage has a greater value for all businesses, regardless of size, allowing them to dictate different metrics for their storage requirements while also offering flexibility in how to invest in storage and choose the right vendor.

Simplistically, SDN might be compared to changing the way a factory is run. Assume you have a widget packing factory, where the assembly line is the hardware and the people packing the widgets are the software. The people (or software) can be upgraded or changed, but the assembly line (or hardware) remains fairly static.

When your factory has various orders or various sizes to fulfil, you may need to allocate your best packing resource to fulfil the regular bulk orders in a particular way, while the smaller ad hoc orders are processed differently with a different expected pace of packing. So you will design the assembly lines in a factory to pack boxes in the most efficient way possible while maintaining a standardized mechanism of packing widgets at a reasonable cost – you might split packing boxes into different assembly lines and change the staff or number of items per box accordingly. To apply a “software defined” abstraction, you would put a foreman in charge in advance (abstraction layer) who looks at the SLA requirements overall and is then able to allocate the correct resources to each assembly line to deliver on service level requirements and delivery time frames within the constraints of the SLA. In essence removing (abstracting) the control from the execution layer, separating off the definition of compliancy requirements from the application of the compliancy commitments.

SDN adds this abstraction layer on top of (around) existing network infrastructure to allow for standardized definition of the SLA resourcing a company or business unit may request from the network. Configuration is typically handled through a Self Service framework, with clients of the infrastructure paying for what their network requirements actually are, rather than being generalized amongst everyone else and paying a “flat rate” which may or may not include prioritization over other entities sharing the same infrastructure.

In future, there is the potential to add an abstraction layer to the “Software Defined Everything” layer, allowing for more efficient buying and provisioning of all IT services. And the closer cloud service providers come to a standardized API for provisioning infrastructural capacity, the higher the likelihood that in future it will not matter who you are running with – it will be about what’s most cost effective while best meeting your requirements.

There may even come a time when computing and network capacity is traded on a commodities-type exchange. This would be beneficial in that the more granular this trading was, the better the value to end user. They might buy CPUs, memory or storage in component form from vendors around the world, and changing vendors routinely, in line with the best available offers. Even trading off their own excess capacity bought earlier at a cost effective price but never fully utilized and therefore freely available for trade.

Essentially, this controlled abstraction of resource allocation is about finding the simplest, most effective way to operate while removing the human element from configuration – rather freeing up human capital for future skills development and environment improvements. As with the Industrial Revolution, the “Software Defined Everything” revolution is now moving to free IT resources from mundane tasks, enhance control, management, efficiency and cost savings, and simplify IT.

Sustainable Initiative to Contribute to Skills Development within the South African IT Industry

Wipro Ltd. (NYSE:WIT), a leading global Information Technology, Consulting and Outsourcing company recently announced the launch of its second Internship Programme in South Africa. The programme involves the recruitment of 40 graduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds providing them with specific in-house training and subsequent deployment on active projects of Wipro in South Africa.

Recruitment of the second batch of interns is now complete, and training started earlier this month. Selection to the internship program was based upon clearing an objective assessment that tested the analytical, mathematical and basic English language capabilities of the candidate, followed by personal interviews. Project readiness training will be conducted by Wipro’s global talent transformation team, covering both technical and behavioural aspects, over a period of three months.

The overall curriculum has been designed to bridge the gap between campuses and the company, and covers dedicated modules on Oracle ERP, BPC, SAS and other topics that are in demand with Wipro’s customers. The interns will also be trained on project readiness by a team of trainers from Wipro’s global talent transformation team, covering both technical and behavioural aspects, over a period of three months. Once the interns have completed their training, they will be interviewed by project delivery managers for an apprentice role on a number of live projects. Once placed, the interns will receive supervised on-the-job training and mentorship for a further three months, during which their performance against various parameters will be tracked on a fortnightly basis. The performance records will be reviewed and qualifying interns will be absorbed into Wipro’s operations in South Africa.

Deepak Jain, Senior Vice President and Global Head, Work Force Planning and Development, Wipro said, “Our aim is to employ as many interns as possible on completion of the programme. We have therefore aligned the training content with projects that we are currently involved in to ensure that the skills developed through training are in demand and that the interns can be readily employed.”

Shailendra Singh, Business Director of Africa Region, Wipro said, “Wipro recognises that skills development and localisation are high on the agenda of both the IT industry and the government of South Africa. We have also received excellent feedback from our customers on this initiative, and are proud to continue our investment in a program that recognises and promotes the growth of future IT leaders in the region.”

Wipro has made further investments in this programme following the successful completion of their first batch of interns earlier this year. Of the 23 interns who were part of the first programme, 20 were placed on live projects following the internship. One of the interns has also had the opportunity to travel to India, to receive training for an additional two and a half months.

The JD Group has completed the installation of Conductor4SQL to synchronise databases across Microsoft SQL Express installations in 1,054 furniture retail stores.

Developed by software solutions specialist, EnterpriseWorx, Conductor4SQL guarantees synchronisation and message delivery, even when the SQL environment is dispersed over erratic networks. “This was particularly important to the JD Group, since we operate a mixed network using ADSL, 3G and satellite technology,” says group CIO Andrew Murray.

“We now have direct visibility into our IT operations, enabling us to make decisions quickly if we encounter any problems. Centralised data synchronisation greatly reduces the time and effort needed for traditional database administration, avoiding the need to hire additional database administrators.”
“Conductor4SQL is a database software solution that allows organisations to efficiently manage and synchronise a large number of Microsoft databases across several SQL servers,” says EnterpriseWorx COO, Sean Paine. “It provides a wide range of functionality, at a fraction of the price of similar SQL monitoring and alerting tools.”

“It allows organisations to efficiently connect, manage, synchronise, monitor and communicate with an unlimited number of Microsoft SQL databases from a single console.”

A robust message queuing platform guarantees automatic message delivery without manual intervention. If the network fails halfway through an operation, the message will be sent as soon as the network is up-and-running again.

“This is an example of how technology can enable business to be more effective,” says Paine. “It allows organisations to do more with less. Conductor4SQL is also easy to implement. The JD Group installation went live within one week of the completion of the proof of concept phase.”

The stores run the SAP Point-of-Sale and POS DM as the audited channel for getting data to head office. Conductor4SQL runs in parallel, transferring data within a couple of hours or overnight.

The technology has a small footprint since the application is configured within the SQL environment and no additional software is required on the client server. In addition, the network demand is low since Conductor4SQL sends only the data required by business users, together with a neglible amount of metadata.

The JD Group runs on MS SQL Server 2005 Express Edition and 2008 Express Edition. The data is fed into a SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard Edition at the JD Group head office. “We found that to be one of the strengths of Conductor4SQL; it allows us to interact with heterogeneous environments running many different versions of SQL,” says Murray.

“With mounting regulatory pressure on retailers and the need to provide proof of specific transactions or face onerous fines, it is essential that complete and accurate data is transmitted consistently and in real-time.”

With budgets currently being set by large corporates, it’s worth looking at international data solutions for next year’s budget.

It’s the time of the year when corporates set their budgets for the following year and one of the biggest variables corporates face with employees travelling abroad on business is international data costs. This often results in “bill shock” with departments having to scramble to find funding when employees come back with unexpectedly high data bills.

Craig Lowe, execMobile founder, says planning for data bills is extremely problematic because standard international data costs are so expensive and unexpected data usage overseas can run into the hundreds of thousands of Rands.

“Unexpected data expenditure has led to 38 percent of business travellers turning off their phones when travelling, fearing high data bills. Companies have also responded with out-dated solutions, forcing employees to buy local SIMs or using public Wi-Fi.

However, public Wi-Fi in hotels is increasingly not an option for many corporates because of the security concerns associated with them, says Lowe. Public Wi-Fi hotspots are also getting more and more congested because of the increase in the number of devices carried by people, resulting in slower download rates. Access is often in public areas, which lowers employees’ productivity.

“The challenge therefore lies in empowering employees to be more productive while mitigating risk with smart roaming connectivity alternatives,” he says.

Several South African corporates have already instituted roaming connectivity policy, which is becoming an international trend for companies that have embraced a mobile workforce, utilising cloud based services.

“Policy ensures finance, HR and IT departments work together to select solutions which benefit the company and empower employees while travelling internationally. It also ensures full line of site of costs, while employees know exactly what options are available to them when travelling abroad,” he says.

Lowe says eXecMobile’s PocketWifi offers personal secure data connectivity at a fraction of the cost of local mobile operators’ offerings.

“Companies can therefore mitigate unexpected expenditure by setting monthly spend limits or utilising an affordable fixed daily costs for unlimited data. This enables corporates to budget based on finite costs or know days abroad. Monitoring systems can now also provide detailed user information, including device battery level, the number of connected devices, mobile network signal strength and data usage. Companies can even prevent streaming based services (music or video content delivery) if needed.

“In turn, the employee gets instant Internet access anytime, anywhere and from any mobile device without having to be concerned about security or the risk of data loss,” he says. The employer on the other hand is able to budget for essential connectivity costs abroad.

Citing ease and simplicity of the upgrade process, 60 percent reported that the upgrade process took minutes, while 90 percent upgraded to the latest version within hours

Veeam Software innovative provider of backup, replication and virtualisation management solutions for VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V, announced at VMworld 2013 Europe that just over one-quarter of the current customer base upgraded to Veeam Backup and Replication (B&R) v7 (http://www.veeam.com/vm-backup-recovery-replication-software.html) within 30 days of its release. The rapid rate of adoption is just one of several data points demonstrating the runaway success of the latest version of Veeam’s flagship product.

“The rate at which our customers are upgrading to Veeam, Backup and Replication v7 is a testament not only to the anticipation of the product, but also to the ease of use and simplicity of the upgrade process itself,” said Ratmir Timashev, CEO of Veeam. “By providing enterprises with even more advanced Modern Data Protection, Veeam has once again disrupted the backup industry. We’re receiving overwhelming response from customers telling us how they were able to upgrade to v7 within minutes, that they have dramatically reduced the time it takes to backup their data, and that their confidence in Veeam has never been stronger.”

Veeam recently surveyed customers who have upgraded to B&R v7 within the past 30 days. Highlights of the survey include:

60 percent reported that the upgrade process took minutes, while 90 percent upgraded to the latest version within hours.

98 percent said the upgrade to v7 was not difficult; 41 percent of respondents said that Veeam has set a new standard in the ease of software upgrades.

92 percent of users upgraded in-house, with no professional services or consulting.

Over 91 percent said they are satisfied with B&R v7 or that it has exceeded their expectations.

“I downloaded, upgraded, and had 25 VMs backed up all within one hour of the GA (general availability) of Veeam B&R v7,” said Zerin Dube, Associate Director at HFF. “Compared to other backup and replication products, it is by far the easiest to configure and administer. It’s stable, reliable and consistent.”

“Our upgrade experience to Veeam B&R v7 was very fluid and easy to do,” said Stephen Smith, Systems Administrator at Competitive Energy Services. “I adjusted the jobs after we completed the upgrade and implemented several of the new features. We have now cut our backup time by almost 3 hours with the new version. Obviously, we are extremely happy with Veeam, its support team and their software.”

Veeam Backup & Replication v7 introduces two disruptive innovations: Built-in WAN Acceleration and Backup from Storage Snapshots, taking Modern Data Protection to the next level. B&R v7 also introduces 7 additional market-leading features and more than 75 other new features/enhancements (http://go.veeam.com/v7), including Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SharePoint (http://www.veeam.com/microsoft-sharepoint-recovery-explorer.html), VMware vCloud Director Integration (http://www.veeam.com/news/veeam-enhanced-backup-restore-for-vcd209.html), Self-Service Recovery of VMs and Guest Files (http://www.veeam.com/blog/countdown-6-enhanced-1-click-restore-in-veeam-backup-replication-v7.html), and Native Tape Support (http://www.veeam.com/blog/the-countdown-continues-announcing-tape-support-in-veeam-backup-replication-v7.html).

“Veeam´s Backup & Replication product is easy-to-use, powerful and flexible in every modern vSphere enterprise environment” said Alan Madsen, Technical Lead, Hardware & Framework / Group Finance & Operations at Vestas Wind Systems. ”Every time we make a backup or do a restore, we are surprised by the product’s performance and ingenuity.”

“Veeam B&R v7 just works,” said Eric Shonebarger, CIO of Hit Promotional Products. “The added features of WAN Replication and Backup to Tape, allow me to finally stop using other tools. Specifically, I no longer have to use third-party tools to move data to our collocation facility.”

“I’ve been deploying Veeam software for years and have never experienced any issues with updates or upgrades, which is surprising in the software world,” said Eric Machabert, IT Consultant/Consultant Infrastructures at Computacenter. “The upgrade took less than 30 minutes, with no downtime. It was easy, fast and problem-free. It’s definitely a best-in-class backup solution.”